The present invention relates generally to paperboard cartons for use in packaging articles. It is particularly useful for cartons for packaging containers such as cans or bottles for beverages, although the invention is not limited in this regard. More particularly, the invention relates to a handle for such cartons.
Containers such as cans or bottles for beverages including soft drink, beer, juices and the like are commonly sold in multiple quantities packaged in a paperboard carton. For the convenience of the consumer, the carton is often provided with a handle, which quite commonly includes as a primary feature one or two slots or other apertures formed in the carton. These slots are commonly formed in top wall of the carton. The user inserts the hand or fingers into one or both of the slots to lift the carton. Many varieties of handles of this type are known in the art.
Lifting a carton containing beverage cans or bottles introduces considerable stress into the paperboard from which the carton is formed. For this reason, to prevent tearing of the paperboard and failure of the carton, a large number of carton handles have been devised over the years which include various reinforcement structures, aperture arrangements and locations, stress-directing fold lines, stress-relieving slits and the like.
Recently, attempts have been made to introduce into the marketplace beverage cartons wherein cans are arranged in two tiers, with corresponding cans from each tier being axially aligned. An example of such a carton can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,242. Such cartons are intended to hold relatively large numbers of cans, for example 24 to 36 cans. The contained weight of these cartons makes use of reinforced handle structures particularly advantageous.
Moreover, despite the many handle designs which have been previously developed, there is always a need for handles with improved performance. A stronger handle permits the use of larger cartons for packaging heavier loads, as well as the possibility of a smaller blank or lighter paperboard material. In view of the large numbers of cartons which are produced, the costs savings which can be realized from these latter advantages can be significant.